🇨🇦 Canada · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Surrey BC? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
One-bed apartment, Surrey City Centre, Guildford or South SurreyCAD 1,700–2,100 / month
One-bed apartment, Newton or Whalley in an older blockCAD 1,450–1,750 / month
Groceries, one personCAD 450–600 / month
BC Hydro, gas and water, one personCAD 110–200 / month — electricity is comparatively cheap here, heating gas is the variable
TransLink three-zone monthly transit pass, Surrey to downtown VancouverCAD 211.65 / month; a one-zone pass is CAD 117.20 and every bus trip is a one-zone fare at all times
Mid-range restaurant meal, per personCAD 25–40, plus 5% GST and a 15–20% tip; a thali or dosa on Scott Road is well under that
Coffee at an independent caféCAD 4.00–6.00
Good to know
Population
568,322 in the City of Surrey at the 2021 census — the second-largest city in British Columbia and the fastest-growing, forecast by Metro Vancouver to pass Vancouver's population in the 2030s. Metro Vancouver as a whole is about 2.6 million; do not confuse the two
Languages
English, with Punjabi very widely spoken across Newton and Whalley, plus large Tagalog-, Mandarin-, Hindi-, Korean- and Arabic-speaking communities. 45% of residents were immigrants at the 2021 census
Currency
Canadian dollar (CAD)
Time zone
PST/PDT (GMT−8/−7) — the same clock as Vancouver, Seattle and San Francisco
Power plug
Type A and B, 120 V, 60 Hz
Climate
Oceanic — mild wet winters, warm dry summers, and rather more snow and frost than Vancouver proper because the eastern half of the city sits higher and further from the water
Driving side
Right
Sales tax
12% total — 5% federal GST plus 7% provincial PST, charged separately rather than harmonised as in Ontario, and applying to different things
Local government
A single-tier city inside the Metro Vancouver Regional District. Since 29 November 2024 policing is the municipal Surrey Police Service rather than the RCMP; transit is TransLink and the bulk water supply is Metro Vancouver's, both regional
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Surrey BC checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Surrey BC
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.